Gates of the Arctic National Park, AK

Weather Underground midday recap for Tuesday, June 18, 2013.

Wet and unsettled weather continued for parts of the East and South on Tuesday as a cold front dropped southeastward across the Midwest and Northeast and reinforced another frontal boundary extending from southern New England through the Southern Plains. Rain and thunderstorm activity developed ahead the advancing cold front in parts of the Ohio Valley into New England, while a cooler airmass followed behind the cold front and led to cooler daytimes highs in the Upper Great Lakes and Northeast. Areas of scattered showers and thunderstorms developed near and to the south of the main frontal disturbance from the Mid-Atlantic and Southeast through the Central and Southern Plains. The Storm Prediction Center issued a slight risk of severe thunderstorms for parts of the lower Ohio Valley and eastern and central Carolinas through the afternoon and evenings. Areas of the Ohio Valley were at primary risks of damaging wind gusts and hail, while areas of the Carolinas remained at risk of damaging wind gusts.

Meanwhile, behind this activity impulses from from the West enhanced precipitation and thunderstorm activity in the High Plains and created the potential for strong to severe thunderstorms for a large part of the region. The Storm Prediction Center issued a slight risk of severe thunderstorm development from this afternoon through tonight with threats of hail and damaging wind gusts.

Elsewhere, an upper level low located off the Pacific Northwest coast brought progressively better chances for showers and thunderstorm activity to the Northwest. The Storm Prediction Center issued a slight risk of severe thunderstorm development for the Northern Rockies with hail and damaging wind gusts possible from this afternoon through tonight.